Educational Psychology

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the test and some answers

are easier than others.

because then students are not really taking the same test creating

equity problems.

Extended response

Extended response items are used in many content areas and answers may vary in length from a paragraph to
several pages. Questions that require longer responses are often called essay questions. Extended response items
have several advantages and the most important is their adaptability for measuring complex learning outcomes—
particularly integration and application. These items also require that students write and therefore provide teachers
a way to assess writing skills. A commonly cited advantage to these items is their ease in construction; however,
carefully worded items that are related to learning outcomes and assess complex learning are hard to devise (Linn &
Miller, 2005). Well-constructed items phrase the question so the task of the student is clear. Often this involves
providing hints or planning notes. In the first example below the actual question is clear not only because of the
wording but because of the format (i.e. it is placed in a box). In the second and third examples planning notes are
provided:

Example 1: Third grade mathematics:
The owner of a bookstore gave 14 books to the school. The principal will give an equal number of books to each
of three classrooms and the remaining books to the school library. How many books could the principal give to each
student and the school?

Show all your work on the space below and on the next page. Explain in words how you found the answer. Tell
why you took the steps you did to solve the problem.

From Illinois Standards Achievement Test, 2006; (http://www.isbe.state.il.us/assessment/isat.htm)
Example 2: Fifth grade science: The grass is always greener
Jose and Maria noticed three different types of soil, black soil, sand, and clay, were found in their neighborhood.
They decided to investigate the question, “How does the type of soil (black soil, sand, and clay) under grass sod
affect the height of grass?”

Plan an investigation that could answer their new question.

In your plan, be sure to include:

• Prediction of the outcome of the investigation


• Materials needed to do the investigation


• Procedure that includes:
  
  
  • logical steps to do the investigation
  
  
  • one variable kept the same (controlled)
  
  
  • one variable changed (manipulated)
  
  
  • any variables being measure and recorded
  
  
  
  

Educational Psychology 256 A Global Text